3. Profile of Quebec permanent residents

3.1 Demographic profile

Data from CIC’s FOSS was used to create a profile of Quebec permanent residents. For this profile, all permanent residents who declared Quebec as their province of intended destination are included, whether or not they were selected by the province^{Footnote 10}. It includes information on the total number of permanent resident arrivals (landings), as well as descriptive characteristics and covers the period from the signing of the Accord in 1991 to 2010. For comparison purposes, the analysis also includes information on permanent residents who settled in the rest of Canada. Table 3.1 provides a snapshot of permanent residents destined to Quebec versus the rest of Canada at three points in time: 1991 (the first year of the Accord), 2001 and 2010.

Source: FOSS

3.1.1 Permanent resident landings

Between 1991 and 2010, the share of permanent residents destined to Quebec decreased from 22% to 19%. This change is due to an increase in the total number of permanent residents destined to the rest of Canada (from 180,976 in 1991 to 226,703 in 2010), rather than a decrease in the total number of permanent residents destined to Quebec, which increased from 51,833 in 1991 to 53,982 in 2010.

Over the 20 year period since the introduction of the Accord, the total number of permanent residents destined to Quebec and the rest of Canada fluctuated. In Quebec, the number of landings has increased by 9% per year over the past two years, but was significantly lower in the 1994 to 1999 timeframe, when less than 30,000 landings were recorded in each year (see Figure 3.1)

Figure 3.1: Permanent resident landings 1991-2010, Quebec and rest of Canada

Source: FOSS

Text version: Permanent resident landings 1991-2010, Quebec and rest of Canada

3.1.2 Immigration category

The proportion of economic immigrants^{Footnote 11} in Quebec grew from 44% in 1991 to 70% in 2010 while the proportion of the family class decreased from 25% to 18%, and that of refugees decreased from 30% to 9%. Similar changes occurred in the rest of Canada, where the proportion of economic immigrants grew from 35% in 1991 to 66% in 2010 while that of the family class decreased from 41% to 22%, and that of refugees decreased from 21% to 9%. In the most recent years, a higher proportion of economic immigrants and a lower proportion of the family class were destined to Quebec, when compared with the proportions of those destined to the rest of Canada (see Figures 3.2 and 3.3).

Figure 3.2: Permanent residents by immigration category, Quebec, 1991 to 2010

Source: FOSS

Text version: Permanent residents by immigration category, Quebec, 1991 to 2010

Figure 3.3: Permanent residents by immigration category, rest of Canada, 1991 to 2010

Source: FOSS

Text version: Permanent residents by immigration category, rest of Canada, 1991 to 2010

3.1.3 Country of last permanent residence

The country of origin of permanent residents destined to Quebec and the rest of Canada differ, with, not surprisingly, French-language speaking countries figuring more prominently among those destined to Quebec. In 1991, the top five countries of last permanent residence of those arriving and intending to settle in Quebec were Lebanon, France, Haiti, Hong Kong and China. By 2001, Morocco and Algeria were added to the list, while Lebanon and Hong Kong were no longer among the top five. In 2010, the same five countries were listed as in 2001; however, their relative ranking had changed (see Table 3.2).

In the rest of Canada, the Philippines, India and China figured in the top five countries of last permanent residence in 1991, 2001 and 2010.

Source: FOSS

3.1.4 Mother tongue

In terms of mother tongue, the percentage of permanent residents destined to Quebec indicating French as their mother tongue rose from 6.8% in 1991 to 12.3% in 2001 and 15.4% in 2010. Arabic figured prominently, with 23.8% indicating it as their mother tongue in 1991, 22.5% in 2001 and 26% in 2010.

In 1991, 15% of permanent residents destined to the rest of Canada indicated English as their mother tongue, compared with 10% in 2001 and 10.8% in 2010. The most popular mother tongue was Cantonese (15.3%) in 1991, Mandarin (15.3%) in 2001 and Tagalog (14.7%) in 2010.

3.1.5 Occupational skill level and level of education

The percentage of permanent residents who, at the time of landing, had indicated they intended to work has stayed the same throughout the years under review (60% for those destined to Quebec and 52% in the rest of Canada). When it comes to the skill level of immigrants, changes are consistent with changes in selection criteria over the last 20 years. Of those intending to work, the proportion of “high skilled”^{Footnote 12} immigrants increased from 28.9% to 46.2% in Quebec and from 30.9% to 43.4% in the rest of Canada. The same changes are found in education levels, as expected: in Quebec, the proportion of immigrants with bachelor diplomas went from 11% in 1991 to 24% in 2010 and the proportion of immigrants with a master diploma from 3% to 12%. Similar ratios were found in the rest of Canada.

3.1.6 Language Ability

Over the past 20 years, knowledge^{Footnote 13} of official languages at landing has increased for both permanent residents destined to Quebec as well as those destined to the rest of Canada. In Quebec, the ratio of permanent residents that had no knowledge of either official language at landing dropped from 39% in 1991 to 20% in 2010. Similarly, in the rest of Canada, it dropped from 45% to 28% over the same period. The biggest change in Quebec came from an increase in the percentage of immigrants that have knowledge of both official languages upon arrival (from 17% to 39%), while in the rest of Canada it came from an increase in the knowledge of English (from 52% to 67%).

Overall, the comparison between permanent residents destined to Quebec versus the rest of Canada in 2010 reveals that those destined to Quebec are more likely to be economic immigrants. They are also more likely to be professionals (skill level A) and are more likely to be able to speak at least one of Canada’s official languages upon arrival.

3.2 Economic performance of Quebec immigrants

The main source of information for this section is the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), which links immigration and taxation records. This allows for an analysis of the economic performance of immigrants and the degree to which socio-demographic factors affect the results.

While the IMDB allows the analysis of relative labour market behaviour of different categories of immigrants over a period long enough to assess the impact of immigrant characteristics (e.g., education, knowledge of French or English), it does not include information on their use of settlement services. As a result, immigrants’ economic outcomes cannot be attributed to the receipt of support services financed by the grant to Quebec.

In this section, the following definitions apply:

• “Quebec immigrants” relates to immigrants destined to Quebec and who filed a tax return;
• “all Canadians” refers to the entire population, including immigrant tax filers residing in Canada (including Quebec);
• “all residents of Quebec” refers to the entire population of the province, including immigrant tax filers residing in Quebec; and,
• “employment earnings” refers to average employment earnings of those who filed a tax return

3.2.1 Employment earnings

When discussing employment earnings, it is important to note that there is a gap between the average employment earnings of immigrants and that of the Canadian population and that this situation can be found across all provinces. As well, economic conditions vary across the country, resulting in variations in employment earnings between provinces. For example, Canada Revenue Agency tax data showed that in 1991, in Quebec, average employment earnings were 10.4% lower than the average for the entire country, while in 2008, they were 14.4% lower.

In order to obtain a fair representation of immigrants’ earnings, comparisons are made using a relative earnings ratio that compares immigrant earnings to that of the Canadian population. In using a relative earnings ratio, variations in provincial economic conditions are taken into account.

The analysis of IMDB data revealed that immigrants in Quebec have average employment earnings below 1) the average of all tax filers in Quebec, 2) the average of all Canadian tax filers and 3) all immigrant tax filers in Canada.

Using the 1991 taxation year as a starting point, IMDB data reveal that one year after landing (1 YSL), immigrants’ earnings were 44.2% lower than the Canadian average. In comparison, in Quebec, immigrants’ earnings were 48.1% lower than the Quebec average. After 3 years, the percentages were 25.6% and 34.1% respectively. From 1991 to 2008, the following three patterns emerged:

• From 1991 to 1996, Quebec immigrants recorded lower relative employment earnings than all immigrants in Canada, both 1 year and 3 years after landing;
• From 1997 to 2005, relative employment earnings of Quebec immigrants were mostly similar to that of all immigrants in Canada, both 1 year and 3 years after landing; and,
• From 2006 to 2008, Quebec immigrants recorded higher relative employment earnings than all immigrants in Canada 3 years after landing (but similar after 1 year) (see Figure 3.4)

For the 2008 taxation year, IMDB data reveals that, one year after landing, Canadian immigrants’ average earnings were 41.9% lower than that of all Canadians. In comparison, in Quebec, immigrants’ earnings were 43.5% lower than that of all residents of Quebec. After 3 years, the percentages were 34% and 30.6% respectively.

Figure 3.4: Relative earnings of immigrants versus the population by years since landing, Canada and Quebec, 1991 to 2008

Source: CIC, IMDB – 2008 Update.
Note: QC relative earnings=average earnings of immigrants in QC/average earnings of tax filing population in QC; Canada relative earnings=average earnings of immigrants in Canada/average earning of tax filing population in Canada

Text version: Relative earnings of immigrants versus the population by years since landing, Canada and Quebec, 1991 to 2008

3.2.2 Socio-demographic factors affecting economic performance

In order to assess the impact of selected socio-demographic factors on the economic outcome of immigrants, employment earnings of immigrants three years after landing were analyzed:

• Immigration Category: When looking at average earnings across immigration categories, skilled workers show the highest earnings 3 years after landing. In 2008, skilled workers (principal applicants) in Quebec earned 34.3% more than the average for all immigrants in the province ($32,776 vs. $24,404), three years after landing. A similar pattern is found for immigrants in Canada in 2008, with skilled worker principal applicants earning 46% more than the average for all immigrants.
• Occupational Skill Level: Immigrants in Quebec intending to work in professions requiring managerial skills (National Occupational Classification (NOC) level 0) or professional skills (level A) have employment earnings in 2008 that are 58.8% and 65.1% higher than all immigrants, three years after landing. A similar pattern is found for the country as a whole.
• Language: Employment earnings of immigrants in Quebec vary greatly depending upon their knowledge of official languages. For the taxation year 2008, immigrants in Quebec with knowledge of both English and French had a clear advantage, earning 23.6% more than the average for all immigrants, three years after landing. Immigrants with knowledge of only English earned 3.6% less than the average and those with knowledge of only French earned 20.5% less than the average. The most disadvantaged were those with no official language knowledge with 40.9% less in earnings than the average.
• Country of last permanent residence: An analysis of the six main countries of last permanent residence of immigrants to Quebec found that immigrants from France had employment earnings in 2008 that were 37.2% higher than the employment earnings of all immigrants. A similar finding was found for Canada: in 2008, among the six countries selected, immigrants from France received the highest employment earnings three years after landing.

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